Is anyone here familiar with this concept? If so, I am interested to hear your thoughts and/or experiences pertaining to this subject.
It's extremely interesting, and it's something I adhere to when it comes to metaphysics. Dualism just never made any sense to me, and profound contemplation of nondualism is a pretty common occurrence in deep meditation. Most find it therapeutic, though a sense of "ego death" can also be quite terrifying, particularly if you experience it through psychedelics instead of through meditation.
I've often wondered about the psychedelics. Have never tried but have heard can be a bad trip. But without the use of psychedelics....what are you thoughts on why "ego death" would be terrifying?
In my experience, and I've heard of similar experiences with psychedelics, there are basically two ways "ego death" can go. As the distinction between you and the world around you disappears, either you have a positive reaction, feeling a sense of "oneness" that simultaneously makes your sense of self melt away and at the same time greatly expands it, or you end up feeling an alienation of your sense of self, a terrifying sense that you are dying. Kind of like either feeling like you are one with the world around you or that you start thinking that the world around you is the only real thing and you are just an irrelevant illusion. Words are kind of failing me here, but it is the difference between a Buddhist-like sense of oneness in all things or debilitating depersonalization.
I tend to agree with your interpretation...in truth the ego is just a bunch of thoughts... an illusion that has been mistaken for the self. So for the ego, any opinions that differ from it's own are considered a direct threat to it's very existence...and so it will fight to the death to protect it's false self.
I had to look it up.......... Near death experiencer Rabbi Alon Anava from the ten minute mark to the twenty minute mark in this video describes what reminds me of this idea of non-duality. "My Life After Death Experience" with Alon Anava 117,990 views •Oct 5, 2014 ... His experience is especially moving to me because he is a total skeptic before his brush with death.
In 1967, I took LSD three times. Beautiful, life changing. Of all the experiences in my life, they surpass anything I've experienced, hands down. If you are the kind of person who is 'alpha' or neurotic, or have demons, or Bipolar, have serious self -esteem issues, malignant narcissism, etc, you should NOT take LSD, you will not like what you see. LSD is a MIRROR from which you cannot escape. You will find out who YOU are, and it will be life changing. If you love yourself, are a decent, wholesome, person, you'll have a good trip. Er.....or 'should' have a good trip. Most do, but not everyone. I should think any type of 'death' would be terrifying, what an odd thing to say.
Maybe only considered "odd" depending on culture. Not sure that "all" cultures view everything the same way...including death. Also...any person's view of death can change.
You are certainly entitled to your own definition of ego. Nobody will take that away from you. But how willing are you to defend your personal view(s) of ego...or anything else? What causes you to hang on so tightly to your own thoughts of what is right or wrong, good or bad of what is important and what is not? What would you be without your ego...would you even exist??
The issue of 'ego' is discussed in eastern philosophy by certain persons, but there isn't enough room to go into detail here. For some, destruction of ego equals death For others, destruction of ego occurs at the moment of the attainment of 'enlightenment'. We only know what we know about the ego this based on that enlightened masters tell us. Sure, some so-called enlightened masters are charlatans. But I believe a few are legit. and it is to those I only pay attention. But the problem for many is, 'how does one tell who is, and who is not, enlightened'.? But then there is the 'ego' as discussed in psychology, psychiatry.. I'm not educated on it from the more academic perspective, or even if it is mentioned, at all. One thing I do not do, is claim authority, or in possession of absolute facts or concepts about it. I just read, perceive, form opinions. From a philosophical perspective, I see it this way: "The ego" ( the mind, the are two sides of a similar coin ) is like a cocoon is to a caterpillar. IN this analogy, the 'soul' is the caterpillar' the caterpillar, during the course of it's growth, at some point, constructs a cocoon around itself. At some point in time, when the caterpillar is ready, it busts out of the cocoon and spreads it's wings, and flys away, it is now a butterfly. This is the metaphor for how the soul grows, from a small state, reincarnations into higher and higher organism, from one celled creatures, up to insects, up to animals, and higher animals, until one day it graduates to the human level. At the human level, the 'ego' ( the self aware mind ) is formed, and this goes on for thousands of years, until one day..... The 'soul' sheds the ego, and achieves spiritual fruition, the ego is just a stage, as a cocoon is just a stage, and a very necessary stage. "Spiritual fruition" means freedom from the cycle of birth, death, reincarnation, a path which souls have been on for millions of years. As things in nature do not come into being in a fully developed state, all things start small, seedlings, grow, sprout, branch out, achieve fruition, eventually. What is true for plants and flowers, is true for souls, though with souls, it takes millions of years. I do not believe in the concept of 'intelligent designer', However, I do believe there is a spiritual basis to life, but it is more like a property, a force, but it's the source force, from which all life flows outwardly emanating from it. It's not planned, there is no 'father' who has humanesque qualities ( that's a construct of men in antiquity).though an enlightened being trying to communicate to the very simple minds of antiquity might choose imagery they can understand, such as 'father' 'heaven' etc. Its a process that cannot occur in one life, but started millions of years ago, until we are here, in human form. Spiritual fruition will occur, naturally, at some distant point in the future on it's own, it is our natural heritage, but some enlightened persons tell us that we can accelerate the process via meditation. . This, to me, demonstrates that, though life seems unfair, but when you know that, over millions of years, you will get to experience life in all of its rooms, ramifications, you'll be every type of animal, you'll grow to human state, and be every type of human, poor, rich, man, woman, until you'd done if all, and when you've had your fill, you will be ready for higher states. We'll all get a shot at eternity, sooner or later, and viewed this way, in ultimate terms, though it might not seem like it in one's immediate life, life is, indeed, very fair. We don't know it because nature closes from us memories of past lives ( but it does it for a good reason ). As to what 'enlightenment' is in point of fact, I do not know, I only read about it, listen to guys like Sadhguru talk about it. (he's all over YouTube) And wonder if it is all true. I just don't know. But, it makes sense to my way of thinking.
I would add: those millions of years are not spent entirely on going back and forth between noncorporeal existence and reincarnation. There are levels of progression in the spiritual realms and death is a normal occurrence in the transition from one level to a higher one. Sometimes a stall at a particular level warrants a choice of reincarnation under challenging conditions relevant to what needs to be learned or experienced.
I have also posted at PF that IMO life here might be some type of training ground.... but training for what do you suppose??
Interesting. I'm definitely not a type-A personality and I'm in the lowest 5% for neuroticism (at least according to the OCEAN personality index), but bipolar disorder does run in my family. And I've had some hypomanic episodes. I've heard mescaline is a gentler trip, but I've also heard the whole "life changing" thing from people regarding both.
He was talking about an experience. And experience is an experience. Do we really need to go into the law of identity? If A then A.
You've already read much of the answer in post #11 and acknowledged awareness of that post in post #12. However, there's more to it in various other details. The answer is: (1) for the sake of growth and progression. (2) For promotion. From Far Journeys by Robert Monroe @1985 page 123: For those who would die, there is life. For those who would dream, there is reality. For those who would hope, there is knowledge. For those who would grow, there is eternity. Apparently there is a final phase called Last-Timers. They do not pick fame, glory or notoriety for their last incarnation because they've already seen and done it all, and they know better than to think they should take on heroic roles to try changing all that's wrong in the world since the problems stem from the crudeness, self-interest, and limited scope of so many pre-occupied materialistic duffers. Yet those who have made it this far say they perceive their state of being to be exquisitely satisfying, well worth all the trials and tribulations, are intent on pursuing the exit goal, and wouldn't ever consider giving it up and reverting back to the best in any of the previous stages. On their way out to the final exit as they pass by other noncorporeals in various levels, they do not respond to communication attempts. Those who agreed beforehand to reveal info about what transpires in the exit process and immediately beyond do not keep such promises. There is no backward communication from those who have left this reality. Books produced by British explorers of the OOBE realms say that the exit process requires melding of two females and one male or two males and one female.
You might enjoy this: http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/the-soul-a-poll.573087/#post-1071732676
What in the Hell are you babbling about? Whatever it is, my question is not directed to you and your response has NOTHING to do with the topic.
It would matter to me and it would matter (whether they realize it or not) to some kid who had never done drugs (if such exists any longer).
